Lobelia plant named ‘LOBZ0006’

ABSTRACT

A new  Lobelia  plant named ‘LOBZ0006’ particularly distinguished by large, violet-purple flowers with deeper violet markings, strong stems with long inflorescences, medium green foliage, narrow leaves, medium sized, free branching, tight and upright plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Lobelia erinusL.

Varietal denomination: ‘LOBZ0006’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia,botanically known as Lobelia erinus, and hereinafter referred to by thecultivar name ‘LOBZ0006’.

‘LOBZ0006’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas large, purple-violet flowers with deep violet markings, strong stemswith long inflorescences, medium green foliage, narrow leaves, freebranching, and a medium sized, tight and upright plant habit.

‘LOBZ0006’ originated from a hybridization made in May 2010 in Andijk,The Netherlands. The female parent was an unpatented, proprietaryLobelia plant designated ‘LOB08-279-1’, having smaller flowers, darkergreen leaves and a trailing plant habit, while plant habit of ‘LOBZ0006’is distinctly more upright.

The male parent of ‘LOBZ0006’ was the proprietary Lobelia plantdesignated ‘LOB07-206-2’, unpatented, having blue flowers with an eye,more gray and hairy foliage, and thicker stems than ‘LOBZ0006’.

The resulting seeds were sown in June 2010 and ‘LOBZ0006’ was selectedas one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross inSeptember 2010 in a controlled environment in Andijk, The Netherlands.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘LOBZ0006’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inthe summer of 2011 in a controlled environment in Andijk, TheNetherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the spring of 2012 in Andijk, The Netherlands, andcontinuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination ofcharacteristics as herein disclosed for ‘LOBZ0006’ are firmly fixed andare retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

‘LOBZ0006’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar was applied for with theEuropean Union on Jun. 26 2014, No. 2014/1695. ‘LOBZ0006’ has not beenmade publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of thisapplication.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Lobelia as a new and distinctvariety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph drawing shows typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘LOBZ0006’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing shows in FIG. 1 a close-up of the flowers, andin FIG. 2 a flowering potted plant of the new variety.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2014 from plantsgrown in a greenhouse trial in Andijk, The Netherlands. These plantswere grown in 10.5 cm pots and were approximately 12 weeks of age. Theclose-up photograph was taken at the same time.

The observations and measurements were taken in Andijk, The Netherlandson Sep. 5, 2014, on 19 to 20 week old plants that were growing outdoorsin 45 cm containers. Culture of these plants had started in mid April2014 with the planting of rooted cuttings, 5 plants per container, andpinching about two weeks later.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VAREITY ‘LOBZ0006’ and A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘LOBMOUNLILA’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.18,410, commercially‘LOBZ0006’ known as ‘Laguna Violet’) Flower color: Dark violet-purpleLight violet Flower, diameter: Larger: 2.1 cm Smaller: 1.4 cm Pubescenceon leaf Little Very slight and stem: Plant habit: Upright Trailing

-   Plant:    -   -   Growth and habit.—Vigorous growth habit; dense, and freely            branching with short internodes, mounding.        -   Height.—About 10-11 cm (from top of soil).        -   Height (inflorescence included).—About 30 cm.        -   Width (horizontal diameter).—From 45-50 cm.        -   Branching characteristics.—6 main stems, each with 3-4            secondary branches.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 12 weeks            for a 12 cm pot.        -   Garden performance.—Used as patio planters, in mixed            container plantings, or in garden beds.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—21-28 days at 20-23°            Centigrade.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate roots.—About 15 days at about 22            degrees C.        -   Number of days to produce a rooted cutting.—21-25 days.        -   Type.—Fibrous and freely branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire to slightly incised.        -   Leaf length.—3.5-5.5 cm.        -   Leaf width.—0.5-0.9 cm.        -   Immature leaf, color upper surface.—RHS 137A.        -   Immature leaf, color lower surface.—RHS 138B.        -   Mature color upper surface.—RHS 146A.        -   Mature color lower surface.—RHS 147C.        -   Venation type.—Pinnate.        -   Venation color, upper surface.—Same color as leaf blade.        -   Venation color, lower surface.—A little protruding, same            color as leaf blade.        -   Texture.—Weak pubescence, both surfaces.        -   Petiole.—No petiole, leaves are sessile.-   Stem:    -   -   Characteristics.—With slightly strengthened, protruding            edges, side branches are developed at almost every node.        -   Stem length.—9-10 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.3-0.5 cm.        -   Internode length.—3-4.5 cm.        -   Color.—Mainly RHS 145B.        -   Texture.—Finely pubescent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Raceme, composed of single flowers in an alternate            arrangement with one flower per node, subtended by a small            leaflet.        -   Blooming habit.—Continuously through the growing season from            spring to the fall.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About 200 per            container/40 per plant.        -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—Up to 17 open            flowers, and additional buds.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—3-6 days,            depending on temperature.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Inflorescence length.—20-23 cm.-   Peduncle:    -   -   Color.—From RHS 143A to RHS 144A.        -   Length.—7-8 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Pedicels:    -   -   Color.—RHS 147A, upper side overlain with anthocyanin RHS            N186B.        -   Length.—1.4-1.7 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Flower:    -   -   Corolla type and shape.—Single, zygomorphic; upper lip is            formed by two small petals, lower lip has three larger            petals; petals are fused at the base forming a relatively            long funnel-shaped tube.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Shape.—Elongate.        -   Length.—0.8 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Color (at tight bud).—RHS 157B (greenish white) and RHS N79B            (purple).-   Immature flower:    -   -   Main color upper surface.—RHS N81A.        -   Main color lower surface.—RHS 84A for the top, RHS 155A at            the base.        -   Immature flower, width.—0.9 cm.-   Mature flower:    -   -   Flower, (horizontal) length.—2 cm.        -   Flower, (horizontal) width.—2 cm.        -   Flower, vertical length (depth).—2.1 cm.        -   Color upper lip, upper surface.—RHS N80A.        -   Color upper lip, lower surface.—RHS N80B.        -   Upper petal lobes, length (from the tube opening).—1-1.1 cm.        -   Upper petal lobes, width.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Color lower lip, upper surface.—RHS N81B.        -   Color lower lip, lower surface.—RHS N82B.        -   Nectaries at base of lower petals.—RHS N81A.        -   Lower petal lobes, length (from the corolla opening).—1-1.2            cm.        -   Lower petal lobes, width.—0.6-0.9 cm.        -   Tube, color (outside).—RHS 77A.        -   Tube length.—0.9-1 cm.        -   Tube width.—0.3-0.4 cm.-   Petal (lobes):    -   -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex shape.—Mucronulate.        -   Base.—Fused, funnel-shape.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture upper surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture lower surface.—Short hair, mainly along the mid            vein.-   Calyx:    -   -   Shape.—5 sepals in a whorl, slanting outwards, fused at the            base.        -   Sepal color.—RHS 187A, very dark.        -   Sepal length (free ends).—0.7 cm, respective 0.9 cm when            incl. the funnel shaped part.        -   Width.—0.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Ligulate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.-   Reproductive organs:-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity.—5.        -   Filament, color.—RHS N81A.        -   Filament length.—0.6 cm.        -   Filament, diameter.—0.1 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 202A to RHS 202B.        -   Anther length.—0.2 cm.        -   Pollen amount.—Little.        -   Pollen color.—RHS 3B to RHS 3C.-   Pistil:    -   -   Quantity per flower.—1.        -   Length.—0.9 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 147A.        -   Stigma length.—0.25 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 145B.        -   Style length.—From 0.6 to 0.8 cm.-   Fruit and seed set: Occasionally observed outdoors.-   Disease and insect resistance: Resistance and susceptibility typical    for the species, no special observations made.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lobeliaplant named ‘LOBZ0006’ as shown and described herein.